Gas supply unit and substrate processing apparatus including gas supply unit

ABSTRACT

A gas supply unit is disclosed. An exemplary gas supply unit includes an upper plate provided with a plurality of injection holes; and a divider plate constructed and arranged against the upper plate to guide a flow of gas from the injection holes; wherein one of the plurality of injection holes is a center injection hole and the other than said one of the plurality of injection holes are arranged concentrically around the center injection hole as outer injection holes; and wherein the divider plate is provided with a center through hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plurality of protrusions extending towards the upper plate thereby creating a plurality of zones, each of the zones fluidly communicating with one of the outer injection holes.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 63/088,802 filed Oct. 7, 2020, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

FIELD OF INVENTION

The present disclosure relates generally to a gas supply unit and a substrate processing apparatus including the gas supply unit, and more particularly, to a gas supply unit capable of controlling film deposition on a specific portion of a substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus including the gas supply unit.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, as a circuit line width decreases, more precise process control has been required. In a film deposition process, that is one of important semiconductor processes, various efforts to achieve high film uniformity have been made.

One of the major factors for uniform film deposition is a gas supply unit. A shower plate is used for a common gas supply unit. The shower plate has a merit of uniformly supplying a gas onto a substrate in a coaxial shape. However, the thickness of a film at an edge portion of the substrate and the thickness of a film at a center portion of the substrate may not be uniform due to, for example, gas flows in an exhaust port and gate valve.

Any discussion, including discussion of problems and solutions, set forth in this section, has been included in this disclosure solely for the purpose of providing a context for the present disclosure, and should not be taken as an admission that any or all of the discussion was known at the time the invention was made or otherwise constitutes prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form. These concepts are described in further detail in the detailed description of example embodiments of the disclosure below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter.

In accordance with exemplary embodiments of the disclosure, a gas supply unit is provided. The gas supply unit comprises an upper plate provided with a plurality of injection holes; and a divider plate constructed and arranged against the upper plate to guide a flow of gas from the injection holes; wherein one of the plurality of injection holes is a center injection hole and the other than said one of the plurality of injection holes are arranged concentrically around the center injection hole as outer injection holes; and wherein the divider plate is provided with a center through hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plurality of protrusions extending towards the upper plate thereby creating a plurality of zones, each of the zones fluidly communicating with one of the outer injection holes.

In various embodiments, at least one of the zones may be provided with a substantially trapezoidal shape.

In various embodiments, the number of the zones may be four, wherein the size of one zone is bigger than that of the other three zones.

In various embodiment, the protrusions may be arranged radially from the center to the outside.

In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a shower plate provided with a plurality of holes to guide a flow of gas outside the gas supply unit, wherein the shower plate is attached to a lower surface of the upper plate.

In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise an insulator connected to an upper surface of the upper plate, wherein the insulator is provided with a center hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plurality of outer holes, each of which fluidly communicating with the outer injection holes.

In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a gas flow channel disposed between a lower surface of the divider plate and an upper surface of the shower plate and configured to fluidly communicate with the center through hole and perimeters of the zones.

In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may comprise a plurality of gas splitters, each of which fluidly communicates with the center hole and the outer holes.

In various embodiment, the gas supply unit may comprise a common gas line configured to branch into branch gas lines, each of which are connected to the gas splitters.

In various embodiments, the gas supply unit may further comprise a liquid gas line and a dry gas line configured to connect to an upstream of the common gas line.

In various embodiment, the gas supply unit may further comprise a controller configured to control flow rates of the gas splitters.

In various embodiments, a substrate processing apparatus is provided. The substrate processing apparatus comprises a reaction chamber; a susceptor positioned in the reaction chamber constructed and arranged to support a substrate, wherein the apparatus comprises the gas supply unit and a shower plate is constructed and arranged to face the susceptor.

In various embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus may further comprise a substrate transport tube disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, wherein the biggest zone of the zones is disposed in a vicinity of the substrate transport tube.

In various embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus may further comprise a vacuum port disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, wherein the biggest zone of the zones is disposed in a vicinity of the vacuum port.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES

A more complete understanding of exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure can be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when considered in connection with the following illustrative figures.

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a PECVD (plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition) apparatus for depositing a film usable in an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing a gas supply unit including a divider plate; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing a gas supply unit including splitters and gas lines.

It will be appreciated that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily been drawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements in the figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help understanding of illustrated embodiments of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXEMPLARY EMBODIMENTS

Although certain embodiments and examples are disclosed below, it will be understood by those in the art that the disclosure extends beyond the specifically disclosed embodiments and/or uses of the disclosure and obvious modifications and equivalents thereof. Thus, it is intended that the scope of the disclosure should not be limited by the particular embodiments described herein.

The illustrations presented herein are not meant to be actual views of any particular material, apparatus, structure, or device, but are merely representations that are used to describe embodiments of the disclosure.

In this disclosure, “gas” may include material that is a gas at normal temperature and pressure, a vaporized solid and/or a vaporized liquid, and may be constituted by a single gas or a mixture of gases, depending on the context. A gas other than the process gas, i.e., a gas introduced without passing through a gas supply unit, such as a shower plate, or the like, may be used for, e.g., sealing the reaction space, and may include a seal gas, such as a rare or other inert gas. The term inert gas refers to a gas that does not take part in a chemical reaction to an appreciable extent and/or a gas that can excite a precursor when plasma power is applied. The terms precursor and reactant can be used interchangeably.

As used herein, the term “substrate” may refer to any underlying material or materials that may be used, or upon which, a device, a circuit, or a film may be formed.

As used herein, the term “film” and “thin film” may refer to any continuous or non-continuous structures and material deposited by the methods disclosed herein. For example, “film” and “thin film” could include 2D materials, nanorods, nanotubes, or nanoparticles or even partial or full molecular layers or partial or full atomic layers or clusters of atoms and/or molecules. “Film” and “thin film” may comprise material or a layer with pinholes, but still be at least partially continuous.

The process may be performed using any suitable apparatus including an apparatus illustrated in FIG. 1, for example. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a PECVD apparatus. In this figure, by providing a pair of electrically conductive flat-plate electrodes 30, 110 in parallel and facing each other in the interior of a reaction chamber 100, applying HRF power (for example, 13.56 MHz or 27 MHz) to one side 30, and electrically grounding the other side 110, a plasma may be excited between the electrodes. A temperature regulator may be provided in a susceptor 110 (the lower electrode), and a temperature of a substrate placed thereon may be kept constant at a given temperature. The upper electrode 30 may serve as a shower plate as well, and reactant gas and precursor gas may be introduced into the reaction chamber 100 through the shower plate 30. Additionally, in the reaction chamber 110, an exhaust line 140 may be provided, through which gas in the interior of the reaction chamber 100 may be exhausted.

Further, a transfer chamber 150 disposed below the reaction chamber 100 may be provided and the transfer zone may be provided. A gate valve 130 and a wafer transport tube 135 through which a wafer is transferred into or from the transfer chamber 150 may be provided. In some embodiments, a remote plasma unit may be used for exciting a gas.

In some embodiments, a multiple chamber module (two or four chambers or compartments for processing wafers disposed close to each other) may be used, wherein a reactant gas may be supplied through a shared line whereas a precursor gas may be supplied through unshared lines.

A skilled artisan will appreciate that the apparatus includes one or more controller(s) programmed or otherwise configured to cause the deposition and reactor cleaning processes described elsewhere herein to be conducted. The controller(s) may be communicated with the various power sources, heating systems, pumps, robotics, and gas flow controllers or valves of the reactor, as will be appreciated by the skilled artisan.

With additional reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a gas supply unit 1 is illustrated. The gas supply unit 1 includes an upper plate 3 providing with a center injection hole 5 and outer injection holes 6,7,8,9. The outer injection holes 6,7,8,9 are arranged concentrically around the center injection hole 5.

The gas supply unit 1 further includes a divider plate 10, which is configured and arranged against the upper plate 3. The divider plate 10 has a center through hole 15 fluidly communicating with the center injection hole 5 and zones 16, 17, 18, 19, each of which fluidly communicate with the outer injection holes 6,7,8,9.

The gas supply unit 1 further includes protrusions 25, 26, 27, 28, which are extending from the divider plate 10 toward the upper plate 3. The protrusions 25, 26, 27, 28 are configured to create the zones 16, 17, 18, 19, and may be arranged radially from the center to the outside. All zones 16, 17, 18, 19 may have substantially the same trapezoidal shape or the size of some zones may be bigger than that of other zones. The first zone 16 may be disposed in a vicinity of the wafer transport tube 135. The second zone 18 may be disposed in a vicinity of the vacuum port 140.

The gas supply unit 1 may further include a shower plate 30 having a plurality of holes to guide a flow of gas toward substrate. The shower plate 30 may be attached to a lower surface of the upper plate 3.

The gas supply unit 1 may further include an insulator 40, which is connected to an upper surface of the upper plate 3. The insulator 40 may include a center hole 45 fluidly communicating with the center injection hole 5 and outer holes 46, 47, 48, 49 fluidly communicating with outer injection holes 6,7,8,9.

The gas supply unit 1 may further comprise a gas flow channel 60 disposed between a lower surface of the divider plate 10 and a upper surface of the shower plate 30 and configured to fluidly communicate with the center through hole 15 and perimeters of the zones 16, 17, 18, 19.

With additional reference to FIG. 3, the gas supply unit 1 may further include five gas splitters 70, which fluidly communicate with the center hole 45 and the outer holes 47 respectively. The gas supply unit 1 may further comprise a common gas line 80, which branches into branch gas lines 81,82,83,84,85. Each of the branch gas lines 81,82,83,84,85 is connected to the gas splitters 70. The gas supply unit 1 may further include a liquid gas line 100 and a dry gas line 90, which is configured to connect to an upstream of the common gas line 80.

A carbon precursor as a liquid gas for forming a carbon layer may be introduced into the reaction chamber. Exemplary precursors include compounds represented by the formula CxHyNz, where x is a natural number greater than or equal to 2, y is a natural number, and z is zero or a natural number. For example, x may range from about 2 to about 15, y may range from about 4 to about 30, and z can range from about 0 to about 10. The precursor may include a chain or cyclic molecule having two or more carbon atoms and one or more hydrogen atoms, such as molecules represented by the formula above. By way of particular examples, the precursor may be or include one or more cyclic (e.g., aromatic) structures and/or compounds having at least one double bond, and in some cases including two or more or three or more double bonds. By way of particular examples, the carbon precursor may be or include 1,3,5, trimethylbenzene or 2,4,6, trimethylpyridine.

The one or more inert gases as dry gases may include, for example, one or more of argon, helium, and nitrogen, in any combination. The inert gas may be used to ignite a plasma or facilitate ignition of the plasma within the reaction chamber, to purge reactants and/or byproducts from the reaction chamber, and/or be used as a carrier gas to assist with delivery of the precursor to the reaction chamber. A power used to ignite and maintain the plasma may range from about 50 W to about 8,000 W. A frequency of the power may range from about 2.0 MHz to about 27.12 MHz.

The gas supply unit may include a controller 200, which is configured to control flow rates of the gas splitters 70. By adjusting the flow rates, the amount of gases in each zone 16,17,18,19 may be controlled. Therefore, the uniformity or characteristics of a film formed in a specific peripheral portion may be selectively controlled. For example, the uniformity of a film deposited in the zones 16 and 18 may be selectively controlled.

The example embodiments of the disclosure described above do not limit the scope of the invention, since these embodiments are merely examples of the embodiments of the invention. Any equivalent embodiments are intended to be within the scope of this invention. Indeed, various modifications of the disclosure, in addition to those shown and described herein, such as alternative useful combinations of the elements described, may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the description. Such modifications and embodiments are also intended to fall within the scope of the appended claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A gas supply unit, comprising: an upper plate provided with a plurality of injection holes; and a divider plate constructed and arranged against the upper plate to guide a flow of gas from the injection holes; wherein one of the plurality of injection holes is a center injection hole and the other than said one of the plurality of injection holes are arranged concentrically around the center injection hole as outer injection holes; and wherein the divider plate is provided with a center through hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plurality of protrusions extending towards the upper plate thereby creating a plurality of zones, each of the zones fluidly communicating with one of the outer injection holes.
 2. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the zones is provided with a substantially trapezoidal shape.
 3. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the number of the zones is four, wherein the size of one zone is bigger than that of the other three zones.
 4. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, wherein the protrusions are arranged radially from the center to the outside.
 5. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising a shower plate provided with a plurality of holes to guide a flow of gas outside the gas supply unit, wherein the shower plate is attached to a lower surface of the upper plate.
 6. The gas supply unit according to claim 1, further comprising an insulator connected to an upper surface of the upper plate, wherein the insulator is provided with a center hole fluidly communicating with the center injection hole and is provided with a plural of outer holes, each of which fluidly communicating with the outer injection holes.
 7. The gas supply unit according to claim 5, further comprising a gas flow channel disposed between a lower surface of the divider plate and an upper surface of the shower plate and configured to fluidly communicate with the center through hole and perimeters of the zones.
 8. The gas supply unit according to claim 6, further comprising a plural of gas splitters, each of which fluidly communicates with the center hole and the outer holes.
 9. The gas supply unit according to claim 8, further comprising a common gas line configured to branch into branch gas lines, each of which are connected to the gas splitters.
 10. The gas supply unit according to claim 9, further comprising a liquid gas line and a dry gas line configured to connect to an upstream of the common gas line.
 11. The gas supply unit according to claim 10, further comprising a controller configured to control flow rates of the gas splitters.
 12. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a reaction chamber; a susceptor positioned in the reaction chamber constructed and arranged to support a substrate, wherein the apparatus comprises the gas supply unit of claim 1 and a shower plate is constructed and arranged to face the susceptor.
 13. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a substrate transport tube disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, wherein the biggest zone of the zones is disposed in a vicinity of the substrate transport tube.
 14. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12, further comprising a vacuum port disposed in a sidewall of the reaction chamber, wherein the biggest zone of the zones is disposed in a vicinity of the vacuum port. 